


Eating Alone Is as Dull as Loving Alone

by ghostofachancewithyou



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 02:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13560768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostofachancewithyou/pseuds/ghostofachancewithyou
Summary: Based on this tumblr request:Can you do a Fredrick Chilton imagine where the reader and Fredrick get into an argument and don't talk for a little while. The reader is at the grocery store and "happens" to run into Dr. Lecter who notice that the reader is upset and offers to cook her dinner at the reader's place. While Hannibal is over Fredrick comes to apologize to the reader. And then you can decide what happens from there. This is happening when Fredrick is starting to suspect Hannibal as the Ripper.





	Eating Alone Is as Dull as Loving Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Trinacria Foods is an Italian gourmet grocery store in Baltimore. // Title inspired by a William Wycherley quote.

“Why not, Frederick?”

“Because,” he sighed, “we’ll only talk about work. Patients. Articles. Studies. You will feel left out.”

“Then why did the invitation say you could bring a plus one?”

“Because Lecter has met you? He knows we’re together. It would have been rude of him not to.”  
<  
“But there will be _someone_ who’s not a psychiatrist? Did I leave such a bad impression last time? Why do I feel like … like you don’t _want_ to bring me along?” 

Frederick hated this. There was no such thing as “not good enough”. On the contrary. You were _too_ good to get drawn into this world of psychopaths, common criminals, ignorant FBI agents, intrigue …

“No. I do. I swear”

He had hesitated a second too long.

This was getting weird. So many emotions welled up inside of you: Disappointment, confusion, pain, stubbornness, anger. Anger won the upper hand.

“That’s it, isn’t it? Don’t deny it, I can see it in your eyes. You don’t want me to be there. Don’t want to be seen with me? I may not have a PhD, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like a piece of–”

“Of course not! It’s not—it’s not because of you, there’s nothing wrong with you, please!”

He tried to grab you by the hand, but you had already turned away and made your way out of his living room. Kitchen, hall. Front door.

“I don’t need this, Frederick.”

Gone.

*

During the next twelve hours he called you 21 times. You didn’t pick up.

Around four pm he sent you a text.

“I love you. I always will. But I won’t contact you again. Do me one last favor and forget what happened between us. It’s for the best.”

You buried your head in your pillow and wept until there were no tears left.

_Frederick._

*

You didn’t remember how you’d gotten out of bed, let alone dressed.

Leaving your building, you didn’t even realize that you hadn’t put on your winter coat, but it didn’t matter, it was only three blocks to that fancy Italian store.

You weren’t proud of it, but you just wanted to forget. First stop: bakery. Four cannoli: strawberry cream, chocolate chips, thank you very much. Second (and last) stop: Marsala, Madeira, something sweet and heady, you didn’t really care. You grabbed a random bottle and headed towards the cash register.

Suddenly there was a soft voice right next to you.

“Miss [your last name]?”

You looked up and saw a tall man with brown hair and an impeccable suit standing in front of you at the register.

“I knew it was you. How are you?”

Finally you recognized him.

“Oh, of course, hello, Dr. Lecter.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you.”

You almost let out a laugh. You were sure you looked awful given that you’d just cried for hours.

“Thank you, likewise.”

“Frederick told me you won’t be able to come to my dinner party next Saturday. I regret to hear it.”

It took you a moment to process this. You were shocked. So Frederick had lied to both you and Lecter. Your confusion showed on your face for a split second, but you quickly pulled yourself together.

“Yes, sadly. The deadline for my current project is coming up and I’ll have to work on it the whole week, including Saturday. I was so looking forward to it.”

Frederick might have broken things off with you, but that didn’t mean you were going to throw him under the bus and expose his lie in front of a colleague. Your relationship status was none of his business.

“Frederick will have to sneak out some of the hors d'oeuvres for me. There’s no way I’ll be missing out on your amazing culinary skills.”

Maybe that had been a little over-the-top, but Lecter quickly nodded his head.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you. But I have an even better idea.“

He looked at you intensely before his gaze wandered from your shopping basket to his.

“Eating alone is as dull as loving alone.”

You chuckled.

“Oscar Wilde?”

“William Wycherley. He was much less talented. But he led a much happier life.”

And then. “Would you allow me to make you dinner?”

“What do you mean?”

He gestured at your shopping basket. “We’ll definitely have cannoli for desert. And my Iberico pork and broccolini will go perfectly with a Marsala sauce. I don’t know about you, but bringing some sicilian sunshine to gray old Baltimore seems like a good idea to me.”

His smile was disarming. If any other man had asked you, you would’ve declined, thinking he was trying to make a move on you. But Lecter was … different. Sometimes you’d wondered if he was gay, or ace, for that matter – the charm he oozed was never directed at any woman in particular. His manners were always perfect, in any situation. And yet, when he talked to you, he could make you feel like you were the only person in the room.

The alternative was eating all of these cannoli yourself and drinking wine until you passed out on the couch. You were better than that.

“How could I say no!”

“Excellent.”

You smiled.

“My apartment is right around the corner.

*

Having been to his house before, you’d felt self-conscious when you had led him into your small kitchen. But he had immediately complimented you on your icy blue/dove gray color scheme as well as your quality knives you’d spent a fortune on.

“I swear by this brand, too,” he said, chopping scallions for the sauce. “A little expensive, but their blades are one of a kind. Precise.”

He had taken off the jacket of his dark red and black pinstripe suit and had rolled up his sleeves. He was leaning over the kitchen counter with his back turned to you. The outline of his shoulder muscles were clearly visible through his expensive and very well cut shirt.

Suddenly it occurred to you that quite a number of people would’ve given anything to trade places with you. It was no secret that Dr. Lecter had many admirers. But … you sighed. No one compared to Freddy.

Suddenly, downing a bottle of wine seemed appealing after all. You missed him, terribly.

As though he had read your mind, Lecter turned around, drying his hands on a kitchen towel and asked, “What’s Frederick up to today?”

If only you knew. You hated lying. But you didn’t want to go into the details of your private life with him, with anyone. At least not until Frederick had looked you in the eye and told you that it was over and that he didn’t love you.

“He’s at home, working. You know how he is. Paperwork, it never ends.”

You sounded less nonchalant than you’d hoped, but Lecter didn’t seem to have noticed it.

“He’s feeling the pressure from all sides these days. The unfortunate business with the Chesapeake Ripper … but at least Will Graham is under his expert care now.”

“I guess. We don’t really talk about it. He doesn’t want me to worry about these things.”

Lecter looked at you. His gaze was impenetrable for a moment, but then he smiled at you.

“He admires you very much. And you have a good influence on him. He seems … happier than before he met you.”

You blushed, your lips curling into a smile, in spite of you, but then you remembered and felt like crying.

The kitchen timer rang, and Lecter turned around to pour the steamed broccolini into a colander.

It didn’t feel right. At all.

*

Frederick had been a mess. Torn between needing to be with you 24/7 and wanting to protect you from any harm. But his heart wouldn’t let him. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was because, deep down, he sensed that you loved him as much as he loved you. 

After a sleepless night and four cups of coffee that left him jittery and even more confused, it had finally occurred to him. He needed to tell you the truth about Lecter. He didn’t truly think you’d believe him, but he had to try. He would do anything to make sure that evil man would never harm you. He wasn’t ready give up on this one perfect thing in his life.

It usually took him half an hour to get to your apartment, but somehow he managed to be there in slightly more than half the time. He stormed past the doorman (who could barely greet him as he rushed by), got into the elevator and pressed the button to your floor twice, six times, ten times.

*

Lecter had just decanted the red wine. You had set the table and were on your way to get the food.

A sharp knock on the door.

You had heard that exact same sound dozens of times before. The silver head of a walking cane, rapping on wood.

Frederick. Your heart began to race, it could only be him. Had he come to apologize? Or to break up face to face? Whatever it took, you would convince him that you were made for each other, that you would never leave him. These things and many more ran through your head during the five seconds it took you to get to the front door.

There he was, wearing your favorite dark teal suit, looking slightly sheepish, a sheen of sweat on his pale forehead. You hugged him like you had never hugged him before, laughing happily and kissing the side of his head. His hands flew to your waist and he immediately began to tell you how much he’d missed you, how much he loved you, that you were his perfect girl and that he thought he’d die if he had to endure another hour without you.

Lecter stood at the other end of the hallway.

“Hello, Frederick.”

Feeling a little awkward, but still smiling brightly, you let go of your love.

“I’m forgetting my manners, I’m sorry. I met Dr. Lecter at Trinacria’s. He offered to cook me dinner, can you believe it?”

Frederick’s face had been pale, but now a red blush came over it. He looked straight ahead at the tall man looming in the semidarkness.

Lecter moved towards you and as he came closer you could see that he was smiling again. Was it triumphant or amused?

“We bumped into each other. She had decided on their most delicious Marsala. I couldn’t resist, I had to invite myself.”

“That was very … kind of you.”

Frederick tried to keep the panic at bay that was building up inside him but he didn’t manage to keep it out of his voice completely.

_He needed to get you out of here. Who knows what that man had already put in the food._

You looked at him and frowned a little. Silly Frederick. Always so jealous.

“Scallopine al marsala. Pork, I’m afraid. But there’s plenty of vegetables, Frederick. Why don’t we all have dinner together.”

Lecter sounded cheerful and sincere. And it seemed sweet of him that he wanted to put Frederick at ease. But when you turned your head and looked at your boyfriend once more, you knew that he wasn’t making this easier for him - on the contrary.

Suddenly you just wanted to be alone with him

“Dr. Lecter, to be hon–”

“Dinner sounds perfect.”

Frederick’s hand was on your hip again as he gently guided you inside the apartment. You were confused when you noticed that his voice sounded more determined now.

As the three of you walked into the dining room, you saw that Frederick clenched his cane so hard that the knuckles had turned white.

*

An hour later you were finally alone with Frederick. You knew that he was usually very eager to impress Lecter; probably he would’ve found it rude to make up an excuse why you needed to be alone. Show no weakness. One of Frederick’s unspoken mantras.

Before you closed the door behind him, Lecter had once more expressed his regret that you wouldn’t be able to attend his dinner party. And then, finally, he was gone.

You dropped your smile instantly. You were so happy that Frederick was here, but he had lied to you. And to Lecter. What was going on?

You found him sitting on the couch in the living room. He held his face in his hands, shaking slightly. You sat down next to him and ran your hand up and down his back in a soothing movement.

“What is it, sweetheart? What’s going on? I’m so confused.”

“You must hate me,” he mumbled against his palms.

“Why would I hate you, that’s nonsense. I love you. Very much.”

He lifted up his head to look at you, puzzled.

“I do, Freddy. But you need to explain what’s going on. Why did you break up with me like that. And I swear there’s nothing going on between me and Lecter, it’s like he said, he just happened to–”

With a whimper he threw his arms around you, holding you close to him by your shoulders.

“I’m so glad … I couldn’t … I would never forgive myself if something had happened to you.”

“Freddy baby, what do you mean? It’s just Dr. Lecter.”

He sat up slightly, not letting go of you yet, but now he was looking into your eyes.

“The reason … the reason … oh God! You have to promise me you won’t tell a soul, I love you so much …”

It upset you that he sounded slightly hysterical now, but you managed a small smile and nodded, gesturing him to go on.

“I have reason to believe … that Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake ripper.”

Silence.

He looked at you.

You exhaled.

“But I thought, I mean, _you_ thought it was Will Graham … and that other man, Abel? He said–”

Frederick shook his head vehemently.

“No, it is not him, it’s Lecter! No one but me knows … he fits the profile. It all makes sense.”

Suddenly you felt sick to your stomach. You couldn’t believe it, a part of you didn’t want to. But Frederick was smart – if he had come to this conclusion, there must at least be some truth to it.

“I believe you.”

He was shaking again. You leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, hoping it would calm him.

Frederick turned his head until his lips touched yours, and you found yourselves in an ardent kiss. One day had been far too long.

As you broke apart, Frederick whispered, “I wanted to protect you. I don’t know what his next steps will be. It thought it would be best if you stayed away from me. Left the city. But I couldn’t bear it, I need to be with you.”

You held and rocked him in your arms until his breathing grew steadier.

“I’m sorry I lied to you, princess. But we can’t let him know … I don’t want him to think I suspect anything.”

“You should’ve told me sooner. All that weight on your shoulders …”

“Please … just let me take you home.”

*

You would never spent another night at your apartment again. Lecter was gone, but his presence lingered.

Frederick’s home became yours. In a way, it always had been.

You didn’t know what was ahead of you. But you knew that you had each other. Forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Please consider leaving kudos or a comment if you enjoyed this.
> 
> [I'm on tumblr.](http://ghostofachancewithyou.tumblr.com)


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